The Forgotten Line
by Yoshi Girl Snape
Summary: What if Buffy's second death had activated another Slayer? What happens when Oz and Remus Lupin run into her on the streets of London one night?
1. Meeting the New Chosen One

The Forgotten Line  
Chapter 1- Meeting the New Chosen One  
  
Let me tell you right now. I own many many articles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, most of the books, some of the unofficial (as well as official) guides, and the first three seasons on DVD. I also own all the Harry Potter books to date and have pre-ordered the fifth book.   
  
However, I am a lowly fanfic writer, and do not own either BtVS or HP. If I did, I'd be sitting on a huge pile of money and be either a hermaphrodite or a transvestite.   
  
Plus, I'd have to somehow be in two places at once.   
  
The whole thing would be really messy, don't you think?  
  
Thus endeth the disclaimer and thus begineth the author's note.  
  
This was somewhat inspired by my mother's whining over why there isn't another Slayer due to Buffy's second death.  
  
Which makes me think... if the girl dies and comes back enough times and keeps creating new Slayers, they won't have any more Potentials to gather. They'll all be Slayers.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So, all I do is take this potion and I can keep my human mind?"  
  
"Yes. I must warn you ahead of time that the potion is difficult to make, so it's best made by a Potions Master."  
  
"Okay. Where can I find one?"  
  
"Hogwarts, where I work. I'm sure if I explain everything to Dumbledore, he'll talk Snape into making you some. He probably won't listen to me, but Snape always listens to Dumbledore."   
  
"That would be great."   
  
A twig snapped somewhere off to their left.   
  
Daniel Osbourne, a.k.a. Oz, and Remus Lupin halted.   
  
"What was that noise?"  
  
"I don't know... It sounded like a twig snapping..."  
  
They heard a low growl coming from the forest to their left again.   
  
"I don't really like the sound of that."  
  
"Remus, run."  
  
Remus looked at the young man.  
  
"What?"  
  
Out from the woods came five vampires. They all looked like they hadn't eaten in days.   
  
"RUN!"  
  
The two young men began to run as fast as they could. The vampires chased after them, not willing to let their prey get away from them.   
  
'Why did we have to go walking the foggy streets of London in the middle of the night?!?' Remus Lupin thought.  
  
'Why didn't I bring a stake with me?' Oz chided himself. 'I know better! I'm from Sunnydale, after all! Home of the Hellmouth.'  
  
Suddenly, a very female voice spoke from up above them.   
  
"Sorry, boys. Playtime's over."  
  
'Gee, that sounds a bit like Buffy.'  
  
Oz could see someone jump off a lamp post and onto the street. He heard the struggle more than saw it due to the thick fog in the area.   
  
Remus walked over to him as one vampire screamed.   
  
"Anyone else want to bite the dust?"  
  
"Oz, what are they? And who's that girl?"  
  
"Vampires. And, I'm not sure. Could be Buffy."  
  
Remus pulled out his wand. "I'm glad I didn't leave this at Hogwarts."  
  
More sounds of struggling were heard, and another scream came from the area.   
  
"Tag, you're dead!" was heard before another vampire screamed as he turned to dust.  
  
"I think you need some better lines, Slayer!"  
  
"Sorry. I didn't realize I'd need this many puns in a night. I used them all on other vamps."  
  
Oz crept closer to the fight and noticed one vampire and the girl in a bear hug of sorts.   
  
"Enjoying the dance of death, Slayer?"  
  
"Well, you know what they say. It takes two to tango." She headbutted the vampire. "Which is why I don't tango."  
  
She landed a kick on a vampire rushing her from behind before staking the one she headbutted.   
  
The final vampire finally noticed Oz and Remus and decided to try to get one of them while the Slayer's back was turned.   
  
"Oz, look out!"   
  
The vampire screamed and combusted mid-run.  
  
The fog began to lift slightly as their savior appeared before them.   
  
Her brown hair went to her chin, and her green eyes were narrowed slightly.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Remus and Oz just nodded.   
  
Remus noticed the rather large cut on the girl's left arm and the wide gash on her cheek.   
  
"You're hurt!"  
  
The girl merely glanced at her arm. "Oh, that'll heal in the morning."  
  
"But, the huge gash on your cheek..!"  
  
"That will heal, too."  
  
"Aren't you even a little worried?" Remus asked, taking out a handkerchief.   
  
"No. Hey!" Remus was beginning to dab at the blood on her cheek.  
  
"I'm just trying to get all the blood off to see how bad it is!"  
  
She pushed Remus' arm away. "I told you, it will heal."  
  
Remus backed away. "Fine. What's this about you being the Slayer? I always thought they were myths..."  
  
Oz finally found his voice. "Who are you?"  
  
"Ruby Fier."  
  
"Are you the Slayer?"  
  
"Yes, I am. I was activated by Buffy Summers' second death."  
  
Oz paled. "Buffy's... second death?"  
  
"Yeah. Why? You knew her?"  
  
Oz nodded. "Fought with her in Sunnydale."  
  
Ruby's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, that's right. Her 'Scooby Gang.' I've heard all about you guys. Too bad all my friends are back in Jersey. I'm stuck here, protecting the Council."  
  
"From what?"  
  
"The First."  
  
Remus tightened his grip on his wand. "Um, I think we have some company."  
  
Ten very large, very horned demons approached them.   
  
"Oh, shit."  
~*~*~*~  
  
Gah! I would love to continue this, but I have the evil that is homework to finish.   
  
I wrote this mainly because my mother thinks that there should have been a Slayer due to Buffy's second death. 


	2. Two Muggles in Hogwarts

The Forgotten Line  
  
Chapter 2: Two Muggles In Hogwarts  
** From Chapter 1 **  
  
Remus tightened his grip on his wand. "Um, I think we have some company."  
  
Ten very large, very horned demons approached them.   
  
"Oh, shit."  
  
"What do we do?" Remus asked. "I've never learned about nor taught about these things!"  
  
"DAMN IT! I knew I should have brought my sword!"  
  
Remus looked at Ruby. "What do we do?"  
  
"You and the Scooby run! I'll hold them off!"   
  
"What?!? No! You're hurt!" Remus ran after Ruby as she charged one of them.  
  
"GO!" Ruby shouted as she sent a flying kick at one of the demons.   
  
It barely flinched at the impact.   
  
"Shit! Not only is he horned, he's made of rock! I had to forget my sword TODAY!"   
  
The demon punched her in the face and sent her flying about five feet.   
  
She hit the pavement of the road with a thud and pop.  
  
"Ow." Ruby got up, popping her dislocated shoulder back into place. "You're going to pay for that, Rocky!"  
  
She charged the demon again, and ducked under his punch. Then, she landed a kick in a fleshy part of his side.   
  
The demon howled.   
  
"Ah ha! Right weak point!" Ruby grinned. "Speaking of point..." She jammed the stake into the demon's side.   
  
The demon doubled over and exploded into a very smelly blue gooze, which got all over Ruby.  
  
"Oh, gross!"  
  
Ruby looked over at the remaining nine demons and watched them disappear in front of her.   
  
"Okay... either once the leader dies they dissolve, or they're invisible. In that case, I'm in deep shit."  
  
Remus and Oz stood beside her. "What do we do now?"  
  
Ruby listened for any sounds of the demons. All she felt and heard were shorts gusts of wind.   
  
"Go home or wherever you need to go to be safe."  
  
"What about you? You're still hurt," Remus started.   
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"I'd like to know about Buffy's second death," Oz said.   
  
Ruby shrugged. "Don't know the details. All I was told was 'You're the Slayer now that Buffy Summers, one of the previous Slayers, has died her second death.' I guess you could call up people in good ol' Sunnydale to find out more."  
  
Oz looked at her. She seemed to be holding back more information, like she really did know the details, but didn't feel like telling them. "So, what are you going to do."  
  
"What I have to do. Save more lives. You're not the only stupid people running around the foggy streets of London. People did it in the times of Jack the Ripper and people do it--"  
  
A sudden rush of wind was felt and Ruby was violently shoved forward. She bolted upright and was punched five feet away from Remus and Oz.  
  
"What the f---"  
  
One of the demons stuck one of their horns in Ruby's gut before punching her farther away from Oz and Remus.   
  
Ruby felt another gust of wind rushing her, rolled out of the way, and blindly staked what she saw as air.   
  
However, one of the demons appeared and exploded more smelly blue gooze on her.   
  
"THEY'RE INVISIBLE! RUN YOU TWO!"  
  
Remus gripped his wand, grabbed Oz, and ran towards Ruby.   
  
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?"  
  
A rush of wind went passed Remus, and Ruby staked another of the demons. This time, the gooze also got on Remus and Oz.   
  
Remus grabbed Ruby and held her close to him. "I'm saving you."   
  
Remus also grabbed Oz, pointed his wand at them and muttered something.   
  
Oz did not know what to think as they suddenly appeared in a small town.   
  
'We're not in London anymore, Toto,' was all Ruby thought.  
  
"Where are we?" Oz asked.  
  
"What the fuck did you do?"  
  
Remus grinned a wolfish grin. "I Apparated the three of us to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Grand." Ruby glared at him. "Now Apparate me back to London."  
  
"No. They'd kill you!"  
  
Ruby shrugged. "Whatever. I don't really worry about death anymore. One Slayer dies, next one's number is drawn."  
  
Remus stared at her. "How can you think that way?!? There are people that care about you!"  
  
"Yeah, and they know I can drop dead at any second! They expect it. They know that I'll have died a hero. There are lives that need saving and demons that need stopping! I gave up a normal life the minute Buffy died! I fight the good fight because I know that another will take my place. Maybe it's for the better. I mean, I fail, I wasn't good enough, so why keep me going?"  
  
Oz noticed something about the way she spoke. It was like she was only fighting because no one had brought her down. "If you feel that way, why not just let them win?"  
  
Ruby smirked. "You don't know your French, do you? My last name is Fier. It means 'proud' in French. My pride won't let me just lose so I die. I have to actually be beaten."  
  
"Then, why do you talk like that? Why don't you worry about staying alive for your family? For your friends?!?" Remus asked.  
  
"My family is dead. I'd rather not watch my friends die horrible deaths, so I never let them fight with me. I have no one."  
  
"What about your Watcher?" Oz asked.  
  
Ruby got quiet and looked down at the ground. "He doesn't count. He was assigned to me. Nothing more."  
  
'Something's telling me there's more to it than that.'  
  
"Well, wouldn't it be better if you survived one more night?" Remus asked, on the verge of begging Ruby to actually think about saving her own life.   
  
"What, and let others die? I don't think so."  
  
Remus puffed up. "Yeah, well, you don't know the way back to London, and I'm the one with the magic, so... you'll go to Hogwarts for the night."  
  
Ruby punched him in the face. "I'm the one who can kill with her bare hands and a stake. You'll take me to London."  
  
Remus pressed hard against where the demon had stabbed Ruby. She cried out in pain and punched him again.  
  
"You're not fit enough to fight seven of them! You'll be killed before there's six left! At this rate, you'll die here in Hogsmeade! Please, just take care of yourself for just one night! You can save more lives tomorrow night."  
  
Oz stepped in next to Remus. "Besides, it's almost sunrise. Most of the vampires and demons will be running for cover from the sun."  
  
Ruby actually took this into consideration. "Fine. Take us to Hogwhatever. I need to shower anyway."  
  
Remus smiled and led the way to Hogwarts.  
  
++++++  
  
When they reached the large castle, Oz and Ruby stared at it in shock.  
  
"Now, normally muggles wouldn't be able to see this, but since you're supernatural, I suppose it's different for you. You sense the magical vibes and are able to see it. It's magnificent inside."  
  
"So, what do you do here?" Oz asked. "We never actually got into that."  
  
"I'm the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."  
  
"Oh. Is that why you're so in love with me?" Ruby asked, pushing open the doors.  
  
Remus blushed. "I'm not in love with you. Just..."  
  
"Obsessed?"  
  
"Well, I've never met a Slayer in real life."  
  
Ruby smirked. "I'm so glad that's not a pickup line."  
  
She spotted a Blast-Ended Skrewt near Hagrid's cabin. "Excuse me, I've got a demon to slay," she said, walking off towards the skrewt.   
  
"Wait! That's not a demon! It's a Blast-Ended Skrewt!" Remus said, grabbing her. When she looked at him blankly, he added, "It's a creature of the magical world. It's Hagrid's. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures here. A hobby of his is to care for rather... dangerous... beasts, but he keeps them under control. You should see Fluffy, the three-headed dog!"  
  
"Fluffy, the three-headed dog," she repeated. "My mother would love one of those."  
  
Oz looked at the skrewt. 'I wouldn't want to care for one of those things.'  
  
"So, should we go inside now?" Oz asked.  
  
"Yes! Ruby's injuries need to be taken care of."  
  
Ruby snorted. "They'll heal. I just need a shower."  
  
"Well, what about your abdominal wound?"  
  
Ruby considered this. "Okay, that might need some care, but everything else will heal by tonight."  
  
"Well, then, we'd better get to the Infirmary."  
  
++++++  
  
At the Infirmary, Madame Pomfrey made a huge fuss over Ruby. Ruby put up a grand fight whenever Madame Pomfrey tried to heal any wounds other than the one in her abdomen, which had taken some time to heal because of all of Ruby's fidgeting.   
  
"Will you get off me, woman?!? I'm fine!"  
  
"It's my job as school nurse to heal all of your wounds!"  
  
"And I said I'm fine! Stop touching me!"  
  
"What's all the fuss about?"  
  
There, at the doorway stood a very old man with a long beard and twinkling eyes next to a younger, scowling man with a rather large nose and black hair.  
  
Remus smiled. "Headmaster Dumbledore! Miss Fier was arguing with Madame Pomfrey over her injuries."  
  
"She won't let me heal her, sir!" Madame Pomfrey said, exasperated.  
  
"That's not true! I let you heal the gaping hole in my stomach. I just don't want you touching me anymore."  
  
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. He obviously wanted to ask questions but knew that now was not the time. "Madame Pomfrey, Severus needs some healing."  
  
"No, I don't." The younger man scowled. "This is nothing I can't fix with my potions."  
  
"But, an experimental potion exploded on you. It may have dangerous side effects. It's best to let Madame Pomfrey look at this. It's her job, after all."  
  
Madame Pomfrey let Ruby alone, much to Ruby's relief.   
  
Severus eyed Ruby and Oz. "Who are they? I've never seen them around before."  
  
"Well, that's because they're not students here," Remus said, "or at any other magical school."  
  
"You brought muggles into Hogwarts?!?"  
  
"Yes. They needed to be somewhere safe!"  
  
Severus was about to ask more, but Ruby cut him off. "So, who's Mr. Shnoz over there?"  
  
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Shnoz?"  
  
"Yeah. You."  
  
Severus scowled an puffed up. "I'm Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master. You'd be wise to show me more respect, you insolent girl!"  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm Ruby Fier, and you'd be wise to show me some respect, Grease-ball!"  
  
Severus pushed away Madame Pomfrey's hands. "Leave me alone, you silly twit," he said to her. Turning back to Ruby, he asked, "And why should I?"  
  
"Because I'm the Slayer!"  
  
Dumbledore blinked, and Severus gawked at her.   
  
"The Slayer?"  
  
"Yeah. What's the matter? Never heard of me before? 'Cause everyone else seems to know me."  
  
********  
  
Okay. That's all I really feel like writing right now. I've got lots of things I need to get done, too.   
  
As always, tell me what you think!   
  
Next chapter will have more explanations, I promise.   
  
I might also throw in Oz dreaming about Willow soon, so keep on your toes for that. 


	3. The Dreams Of Two Wolves

The Forgotten Line  
  
Chapter 3: The Dreams Of Two Wolves  
**From Chapter 2**  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm Ruby Fier, and you'd be wise to show me some respect, Grease-ball!"  
  
Severus pushed away Madame Pomfrey's hands. "Leave me alone, you silly twit," he said to her. Turning back to Ruby, he asked, "And why should I?"  
  
"Because I'm the Slayer!"  
  
Dumbledore blinked, and Severus gawked at her.   
  
"The Slayer?"  
  
"Yeah. What's the matter? Never heard of me before? 'Cause everyone else seems to know me."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, what an interesting turn of events. One of the three Slayers in Hogwarts. Excellent."  
  
Ruby arched her left eyebrow. "Hey, I said I was THE Slayer. As in, only one. How did you know about another one?"  
  
He smiled once more. "I know many things, Miss Fier. Many more than I let on."  
  
Ruby smirked. "The old man's okay."  
  
"Please, call me Albus."  
  
"Albus... Albus... I had a crazed great-uncle named Albus once. He was nice, but a little unstable. Made awesome cookies. He died when I was four. Told me the day he died I'd grow up to be someone great, even if no one knew about it."  
  
"I'd say he was right."  
  
"I guess. You all know about it." Ruby paused. "Say, how do you all know about Slayers?"  
  
"Hogwarts and other magical schools have had numerous Watchers over the years." Dumbledore smiled at Oz. "Perhaps you've heard of some: Rupert Giles, Slytherin, and Wesley Wyndham-Price, Hufflepuff."  
  
Oz blinked. "Yeah, I know them."  
  
Remus shook his head. "Headmaster, you said something about Miss Fier being one of THREE Slayers. How?"  
  
"Well, Miss Fier is sitting in front of us, Miss Morgan is in jail, and Miss Summers has been resurrected."  
  
Oz looked up at Dumbledore, shocked. "Buffy's alive?" He turned to Ruby. "You never mentioned that!"  
  
Ruby shrugged. "I didn't know. I only knew that she died."  
  
Dumbledore turned to Oz. "She was resurrected by a young, powerful witch named--"  
  
"Willow," Oz finished for him.   
  
"Yes. How did you know?"  
  
"I used to date her."  
  
Ruby cleared her throat. "Who's Miss Morgan?"  
  
"Faith," Oz said.   
  
Ruby tensed. "Faith?"  
  
"You know her?"  
  
Ruby's face hardened. "Yeah. I ran into her a few years ago in Jersey. We got into a huge fight at a club. She was such a whore, slobbering over the guy I'd brought with me. Anyway, I get up in her face about it, and she decides to get physical. I'm kicking her ass just fine until she whips out a knife." Ruby rolled up the sleeve on her left arm to reveal a long, jagged scar. "She gave me that. Bitch." She quickly pushed her sleeve back down. "So, you can say I know her."  
  
"How'd you know she was the Slayer?"  
  
"Easy. She told me."  
  
"She told you?!?"  
  
Ruby shrugged. "Well, we kind of took it out onto the streets and some vamps jumped us. We dusted them, and she told me what she was then. Like it was supposed to make me fear her." She rolled her eyes at the idea.   
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, I think it would be a good idea for all of us to get some sleep. Severus, Remus, the two of you have classes to teach tomorrow. Miss Fier and Mr. Osbourne," here, Dumbledore looked at Oz, who was wide-eyed, and winked, "should get some sleep as well. Slaying is a difficult thing, as well as controlling the wolf inside around another wolf."  
  
"He's a werewolf too?!?" Severus asked, looking at Oz with a look of disgust.  
  
"Yes, Severus, he is," Dumbledore said calmly. "So, now, you will have to make the Wolfsbane Potion for Mr. Osbourne."  
  
Madame Pomfrey finished healing Severus' arm, which she had been working on during the whole conversation. "There. Now, I suggest that you leave those experimental potions alone for a few days."  
  
"Don't tell me what to do!"  
  
Severus' comment towards Madame Pomfrey made a smile creep across Dumbledore's face as he knew that Severus would do as he had been told and make the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus and Oz. 'The benefits of being Headmaster, I suppose,' Dumbledore mused to himself.   
  
"I will have some house elves escort you to where you will be staying, Miss Fier and Mr. Osbourne, at least for the night." With that, two house elves appeared beside him. "Lillith," he addressed one of the elves, "please make sure that Miss Fier is given a towel for her shower. I'm sure she has been patiently waiting to get all that slime off of her." He noted that this comment earned him a smile and rapid nodding from Ruby. He heard Oz's stomach growl and told the other elf, "Ruben, please make sure that Mr. Osbourne has something to eat."   
  
Both elves said, "Yes, Headmaster!" as they jumped up and down, excited to have guests in the castle to fill the empty rooms.   
  
The elves took the hands of their respective assignments. "Please, follow me."  
  
As Ruby, Oz, and Remus left, Ruby and Oz being half dragged by Lillith and Ruben, Dumbledore turned to Severus. "You will make the Potion?"  
  
Severus sighed as he stood up, glaring at Madame Pomfrey. "Of course."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Good. I suggest that you get some rest as well. I don't want you to take off any more points than usual because you didn't get enough sleep."  
  
"How can I rest in a castle with two werewolves, one of which tried to kill me and the other, we know nothing about?"  
  
"Just remember that there is a Slayer within these walls who will most likely be on her toes. If Remus and Mr. Osbourne do anything, which I highly doubt, seeing as how the full moon is a week away, she will stop them, either by knocking them out or, gods forbid, by killing them."  
  
'Hopefully the latter,' Severus thought, but said nothing more on the subject as he quietly walked to his room.   
  
*******  
  
"Here is your room!" Lillith squeaked to Ruby. "Inside is bed and change of clothes-- wizarding clothes!"  
  
Ruby sighed. The elf had chewed her ear off about Hogwarts during the whole walk. Now, she wanted nothing more than to shower and get some sleep. And possibly food. Slaying does make a girl hungry, after all.   
  
"Thank you. Is the shower in there?"  
  
"Oh no! Shower is next door!"  
  
"Thank you, Lillith. That's all I need. Um," Ruby searched her pockets, "I don't have anything to give you."  
  
"I need nothing from the lady. If the lady needs nothing more," here she gave a bow, "good night."  
  
"Good night," Ruby said, as the house elf disappeared in a flash. She then went inside her room, grabbed the towel, notice that there were black pajamas and black robes for the next day, and walked to the bathroom for a long, warm shower.   
  
*******  
  
Remus sighed as he plopped down in his bed, massaging his jaw. Ruby had given him quite a punch, but he had forgotten how much it hurt until he was away from Madame Pomfrey. 'Poor woman... no one ever wants her to treat them because of those god-awful potions she makes us drink. No wonder Ruby didn't want her touching her again. She probably had to drink something to heal the hole in her gut faster.'  
  
Remus smiled as he remembered the look on Severus' face when Ruby fought with him. 'That was classic,' he thought as he silently chuckled.   
  
Removing his robes, which also had some ooze on it, but not as much as was on Ruby, he decided to sleep in his boxers for the night.   
  
He would have slept commando, but every time he did that, he always woke up on the cold floor.   
  
It was his curse, besides being a werewolf.   
  
It even happened to him in his Hogwarts days, when he used to sneak a certain Ravenclaw girl into his room.   
  
Remus smiled as he recalled how they would always have to borrow James' Invisibility Cloak to get her out of the Gryffindor Common Room.   
  
'And they said I was the innocent one...'  
  
The minute Remus' head hit his pillow, he closed his eyes and drifted off to Never Never Land.   
  
*******  
  
Ruben opened the door for Oz and said, "Your room, Sir."  
  
"Thanks," Oz said. He was not sure if he had to pay the elf, but he handed out some money anyway.   
  
"Sir does not need to pay Ruben. Besides, Sir's money is no good here."  
  
Oz looked down and noticed that he was holding an American five-dollar bill.   
  
"Right. Sorry."  
  
"Sir is allowed to make mistakes. What would Sir like to eat?"  
  
Oz thought about it. "Do you have any pizza?"  
  
This puzzled the elf. "Pizza? What is pizza, Sir?"  
  
"Well, uh... it's a dough that's baked into a bread and then covered with tomato sauce--"  
  
He stopped when he noticed the elf's blank expression. He was pretty sure he'd lost Ruben at 'dough that's baked into a bread'.   
  
"Do you have any chicken?"  
  
"Yes, we do, Sir! Would Sir like that instead?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Very well, Sir!" The elf disappeared with a snap of his fingers.   
  
Oz sighed and looked around the room. The people in the pictures were whispering to one another about him, something he was told by Remus, and then Ruben, was common. He wondered whether they whispered about his lancanthropy or the fact that he was a "muggle."   
  
"Would Sir like anything else?" Oz heard Ruben say from behind him, many slices of chicken on a plate on a tray, a glass of some odd liquid also on the tray.   
  
"What's the drink?"  
  
"Pumpkin juice, Sir! It's very good! Ruben thinks Sir will like it!"  
  
"Thanks," Oz told Ruben. Noticing that Ruben watched him with wide-eyed anticipation, most likely waiting for his next order, he added, "Umm.. that's all for now."  
  
"Very well. Good night, Sir!" With that, Ruben bowed and disappeared.   
  
Oz grabbed the fork and knife and dug into his food, grateful to have something in his stomach since around three o'clock in the afternoon.   
  
*******  
  
Ruby lay in bed, singing to herself.   
  
"Lay beside me, tell me what they've done  
Speak the words I want to hear, to make my demons run  
The door is locked now, but it's open if you're true  
If you can understand the me, then I can understand the you"  
  
She would have continued with Metallica's "The Unforgiven II" if it hadn't been for the feeling that something was wrong outside her room.   
  
Getting out of bed, she buttoned up the top of her pajamas so that nothing was showing, in case any boys were wandering around after hours. She then located her socks and sneakers, which were ooze-free, fortunately, and had not been stolen by the house elves. Putting them on, she found her stake and decided it was best to merely hold it in her hand.  
  
After all, all the people in the castle ran around with pieces of wood in their hands. Maybe not thick, short, sharp, pointed pieces of wood, but pieces of wood nonetheless. She'd just tell them she was learning how to make them and this one had gone horribly wrong. Not that they would believe that one.   
  
She opened the door and noticed nothing jumped at her immediately. That was of the positive. Closing the door behind her, she continued down the hall, following her instinct to where the danger was.   
  
*******  
  
Remus looked up at the beautiful Asian woman currently on top of him, smiling down at him.   
  
"So, you finally met a Slayer? Aren't they incredible? Swift, strong, powerful. Most of them are beautiful, too, I hear." She winked at him. "Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't let you near this one alone for too long. She's so young and pretty. She's already got all your attention. I don't want her to snag you from me. How horrible would that be?"   
  
Remus knew he was dreaming. The woman on top of him, currently wearing nothing, was Cecile Maloots, the Ravenclaw he'd gone out with in his later years at Hogwarts and spent many nights with. After she'd left to work with the Council full-time, he had not seen or heard from her.   
  
"I'm dreaming," he muttered to himself.   
  
"Yes, you are, but be patient. Dreams can become reality, dear Remmie. Of course, if you'd taken the offered job at the Council, this could be a reality every night." She smirked at him as she bit his shoulder. The bite being in a dream, he felt no pain.  
  
"Every night but the night of the full moon, you mean," he said.   
  
"Maybe not," she said, smirking at him.  
  
Remus sighed and blushed slightly. "What about Miss Fier? I need to contact her Watcher as soon as I can; he should know where she is."  
  
Cecile frowned. "I'm afraid you can't do that."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Her Watcher's dead."  
  
Remus frowned. "I didn't know that. How is this a dream? Dreams subconsciously take what you know and put you into bizarre situations using that knowledge."  
  
Cecile chuckled and got out of the bed. She pulled on a robe and walked over to the door. "Trust me, Remmie, this is no ordinary dream." She opened the door and walked out.   
  
"She's right, you know," Remus heard someone to the left of him say.   
  
Turning, he saw Rupert Giles, the Slytherin known during his school days as "Ripper." "Ripper, what are you doing in my bed?"  
  
Giles smiled. "I'm here to talk to you, cutie," he said, pinching Remus' cheek in the process.  
  
Remus blushed as he sat up. "Ripper, while I have no problem with you being gay, I wish you wouldn't hit on me. Especially when I'm naked in bed."  
  
Giles smiled innocently. "Why? Afraid you might like it?"  
  
"No, because it scares me that you look like a stuffy old librarian."  
  
"Well, that's because I am a librarian, but I'm not stuffy, mind you. Old, maybe, but no older than you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyway... about the Slayer. It's not your time for one. And talking to her gently won't work, either. She won't talk to the purest of creatures, but she won't even tell the Devil her secrets. I doubt that you'd be able to handle what she's had to handle. The girl was the Slayer from the start of her life, really. She lived in a small town in New Jersey, but quickly discovered what lie in the darkness and that things that go bump in the night were not something that would go away when you closed your eyes. Death, destruction, solidarity, betrayal. It all lays heavily on her shoulders. She won't share that with you, though. No. Try as much as you like, she won't open up. Not unless she wants to spite you. To crush your heart so you'll leave her alone forever. To break you with the stories of her life that prevent her from dying, no matter how hard she tries."  
  
"Why on Earth would she do that? Why push everyone away from her?"  
  
"Simple," Giles told him, sitting up, taking off his glasses, and cleaning them with Remus' sheets. "It's all she knows to do to keep people alive."  
  
*******  
  
Oz looked down at the invitation he held in his hand.   
  
You are cordially invited to the "Painted By Moonlight" ball,   
to be held on Monday, May 19, 2003 at the Chalet de la Lune.  
Please dress in formal wear.   
Your invitation is needed to enter.   
  
He looked at the giant palace-like hotel that the ball was to be held in. After handing the guards his invitation, he was surprised by a friendly face.   
  
Buffy.   
  
"Hey, Oz. Glad to see you could make it." She smiled at him as she took his arm. Her forest green dress came down to her ankles, and her shoes matched beautifully with silver stones creating a flower pattern to contrast. "Dance with me, Oz."  
  
"Okay." And so, Oz led Buffy into a waltz, noticing that all the Scoobies were there.   
  
Except Willow.   
  
Buffy noticed his concerned look at smiled at him. "I know who you're looking for. Don't worry. The belle of the ball will be here shortly."  
  
When the music stopped, a girl that looked like she could be Jonathan's cousin said into the microphone, "Please welcome the one who made this ball possible-- Miss Willow Rosenburg!"  
  
Everyone clapped as Oz watched in awe as Willow stepped onto the floor wearing a sleek navy blue dress that came down to her ankles, but was low cut in the front and back, the straps thin and delicate.   
  
She smiled as she took the mic. "Thank you all for coming tonight. Seeing all of you here has delighted me in so many ways." She handed the mic back to the young lady and walked over to Oz.   
  
"Will.. You're beautiful."  
  
Willow smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself. I like what you did with your hair. Blue and orange spikes work for you. The tux looks great too."  
  
"It's like we're back at the prom."  
  
"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Except, this has one thing the prom didn't have."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Willow smiled as a familiar tune began to play.  
  
"I've heard people say that   
Too much of anything is not good for you, baby"   
  
"I got the Barry working for me."  
  
Oz smiled at her. "Care to dance?"  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
And so, the young witch and werewolf danced gently to the song that the witch had used in an attempt to have sex to show that he was her one and only.  
  
Oz dipped Willow and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled as they stood up, holding each other closely.   
  
Willow murmured soft nothings in his ear as they danced, Oz planting the occasional kiss on her lips gently.   
  
As the song came to an end, Oz heard Willow whisper something he had waited the entire song to hear her say.   
  
"I love you, Oz."  
  
"I love you, too, Willow."   
  
And with that said, he pulled her even closer to him and kissed her, feeling much like Christian kissing Satine after singing "The Elephant Love Medley" with her.   
  
*******  
  
Ruby sighed as she sat down in the Great Hall. Her instinct had led her here, yet so far, she had encountered no evil.   
  
"I wonder if all the magic in this place is getting to me..."  
  
That's when it she saw it.   
  
There was a hole in the air of the Great Hall of Hogwarts.   
  
And there was a boy tumbling through it. A boy who just happened to land at her feet.   
  
"Ruby?!?"  
  
"Jacques?!?"   
  
++++++++++  
  
Okay, so I don't own the Metallica song (though I wish I did) or the Barry White song. I also don't own Christian, Satine, and "The Elephant Love Medley", all borrowed from "Moulin Rouge."  
  
I also do not own Jacques, who is being taken from "The Gatekeeper Trilogy". It was a very good trilogy in the Buffy books series. I suggest that if you haven't read it, you at least read a summary of it.   
  
Of course, now I must be getting to sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow.  
  
Woo! Metros tied with the Galaxy! Yes!  
  
Don't forget to review! 


	4. Explain It To Me

The Lost Line  
  
Author's Note: This story takes place during Harry's seventh year of Hogwarts, and somewhere between Seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Jacques, taken from The Gatekeeper Trilogy, any of the lines taken from "Batman", or any songs by Metallica.   
  
Chapter 4: Explain It To Me...  
  
**From Chapter 3**  
  
There was a hole in the air of the Great Hall of Hogwarts.   
  
And there was a boy tumbling through it. A boy who just happened to land at her feet.   
  
"Ruby?!?"  
  
"Jacques?!?"   
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Ruby helped up the young boy who had become the Gatekeeper. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Is there a great evil here that I don't know about?"  
  
Jacques shook his head. "No. Not that I know of, anyway. I was trying to get back from Siberia. Giant sand worm there."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So, what are you doing in Hogwarts? You're not a witch."  
  
Ruby narrowed her eyes at Jacques. "How do you know about Hogwarts?"  
  
"Well, I am the gatekeeper, Ruby. I know about all the magical schools. Hogwarts is very famous for having Professor Dumbledore as its headmaster."  
  
"Okay, I get it. Magic knows magic. How've you been?"  
  
"Good. Lonely, but good."  
  
"Sorry about that. Got called away to London to stop the council from being blown up. Big failure there on my part."  
  
"Well, they know who's behind it. Some crazed priest named Caleb." Jacques saw Ruby's face darken. "He's the First's number one guy."  
  
"Too bad he won't fall into a tank of some chemicals and become the Joker. 'Cause I could really deal with that."  
  
Jacques smiled. Ruby was a big fan of Jack Nicholson and that line ("Jack, you... are my number one... guy.") happened to be one of her favorites.   
  
"So, what's the deal with Hogwarts and Dumbledore? No one feels like telling a Slayer like me anything."  
  
Jacques sat down at one of the tables, and Ruby did the same. "Hogwarts, as I'm sure they told you, is a school where young witches and wizards learn their magic." He paused, and saw Ruby nod. "Well, at one point, a young wizard named Tom Riddle came to study at Hogwarts. He was put into Slytherin house. Slytherin house is famous for turning out dark wizards."  
  
"Explains why Snape was such a bastard," Ruby muttered.  
  
Jacques smiled. "I know Snape. He's a bit of a jerk, but he's got a soft spot for Dumbledore. He's gotten Snape out of a few sticky situations. Anyway, back to Riddle. He happened to be the heir of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house. Slytherin felt that anyone with muggle--"  
  
"Non magic people. They told me that."  
  
"Right. Well, he felt that anyone with muggle blood in them should not be allowed to study at Hogwarts. That's why there are no muggle-borns in Slytherin. Funny thing about Riddle was, he was half-muggle. Anyway, he came to hate all muggles, especially his father, who left his mother after finding out she was a witch. He let out a Basilisk and ended up killing a girl. You might meet her in the bathrooms one day. They call her Moaning Myrtle. She thinks the world's against her. Always crying. Now, Tom Riddle is known as Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore's the only person's he's afraid of. And Harry Potter's the only one who Voldemort wasn't able to defeat. His mother died for him, and it created a shield for her son. When Voldemort tried to use the killing curse on the boy, it bounced off him."  
  
"So... now what's happened? I feel like there's major evil hanging around the area. Especially in those woods."  
  
"The Forbidden Forest. It's possible he's hiding there. Voldemort's risen again." Jacques paused and looked around the Great Hall, then back at Ruby. "Dumbledore's old, and all the students wouldn't know what to do. Even if they all combined their powers, they may not defeat him this time."  
  
"So? I'm only here for the night. I've got to stop the First."  
  
"Yeah, but..." Jacques sighed. "What if the First is using Voldemort? Ruby, they may want you to stick around to fight Voldemort. They'll need all the help they can get, and you're very strong."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm no witch."  
  
"I know, but you're the Slayer. You're strong. You could help them."  
  
"If you're suggesting that I help them fight, you're crazy!"  
  
"Maybe not. Slayers have been known to fare well against witches and wizards in fights."  
  
Ruby sighed. "This won't be your ordinary dance with the devil in the pale moonlight."  
  
*******  
  
Remus stared at Giles in disbelief. "Surely she knows another way to save everyone. What about her Watcher? I'm sure she didn't push him away!"  
  
"No, she didn't. And, he died because of it."  
  
"What?"  
  
Giles put his glasses back on. "She loved her Watcher. In a way that she shouldn't have. He was young (about seven years older than she) and handsome. And he returned those feelings. The Council found this to be inappropriate. The night that the Council tried to take him away from her, another group of radicals attacked her. She ended up killing all but one."  
  
"What happened to Ruby?"  
  
"She was injured badly. She was shot a few times, and she was in shock. She thought she'd become a killer for life, like Faith. You see, when she and Faith had killed vampires together in New Jersey, Faith said that Ruby would come to like Slaying. That she would like the kill. Ruby's greatest fear was becoming like Faith. Well, she learned that Faith had killed a man in Sunnydale, and thought she was going to become like her."  
  
"Did-- did she-- like-- killing those people?"  
  
"No, but just the fact that she had killed was enough for her to think that she would."  
  
"So... what happened?"  
  
"Well, she went to her Watcher. She needed to heal, and he would take care of her. The problem was, the Council was already there with her Watcher. When she entered the room, the Council told her she was to be executed. The one that got away had told them what she had done. They aimed their guns at her; she just stood there, bleeding and crying, in shock. But, instead of being shot and killed, her Watcher jumped in front of her, saving her. He told her to run, which she did. She ran to the nearest hospital, where she was treated. The Council did not bother to touch her there. Caleb took that chance to blow them up. The only reason she still protects them is because they no longer exist. Ruby fights for the people now, not an organization that was blown up because some Radicals caused the Slayer that was keeping them safe to go into shock while a minion of the First was lurking around."  
  
"They killed her Watcher... they tried to kill her..." Remus closed his eyes. "How could they do something like that?"  
  
He opened his eyes and looked at Giles. Giles looked at him sympathetically. He knew who Remus was thinking of. Cecile.   
  
"Remus, Cecile would never do something like that. She would have fought for Ruby. But, she couldn't. She was in South America at the time."  
  
Remus sighed. "So... what do I do now? She needs someone to look after her. And Cecile-- she told me it wasn't my time for a Slayer yet."  
  
Giles took his glasses off again. "She's right. But, someone will look after her. He won't be your first choice, and he's NOT anywhere on Ruby's list, but he'll do for the time."  
  
"You're talking about Severus, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The world is doomed."  
  
"That's my line," Giles said, a slight smile on his face.  
  
**********  
  
Ruby sighed. "I think I should be getting some sleep."  
  
Jacques nodded as she yawned. "I think that would be wise."  
  
"Can you get back to Boston?"  
  
"I don't think so. At least, not tonight. Besides," here he smiled at her, "I've missed you so much, I don't think I'd want to leave anyway."  
  
Ruby smiled back at Jacques. Even though he was two years younger than she, he was cute for a fifteen year old. And she knew that he did have a slight crush on her. "You can share my room with me."  
  
"I'll sleep on the floor."  
  
"No, you can share the bed with me. It's a queen size."  
  
Jacques blushed and agreed to share the bed with her.   
  
As they made their way back to Ruby's room, they noticed the portraits bowing at Jacques and muttering their welcomes. Jacques nodded to them, and thanked them for their welcomes.   
  
"You're pretty popular."  
  
"They sense all my magic. They also know about my being the Gatekeeper, and respect that."  
  
Ruby nodded. "Makes sense." They stopped at a door. "This is my room."  
  
Jacques opened the door for her. Ruby smiled. "Also the perfect gentleman, are we?"  
  
"Only for you."  
  
"Hey, stop that. We don't want to make the Slayer blush now, do we?"  
  
Jacques continued to smile at her. "Sure."  
  
This caused Ruby to blush. Jacques was cute, sure, but he wasn't Alexander. She suddenly became very upset thinking about her previous Watcher.  
  
Jacques saw this and become concerned. "Is everything okay?"  
  
Ruby shot him a glance that told him she didn't want to talk about it, then smiled. "Peachy keen."  
  
She walked into the room, and plopped down on one side of the bed. Jacques took off his shoes and laid down on the other side of the bed.   
  
******  
  
Meanwhile, in Oz's dreamland, he and Willow were sitting under a starry sky, sharing a picnic dinner of pizza and soda. They were no longer at the ball, and both were in casual clothes. Willow was taking a bite out of the extra cheese pizza, and had just gotten sauce all over her chin. Willow moved to wipe it away with a napkin, but Oz licked it off her instead. She giggled and allowed him to kiss her just as a shooting star passed above them.  
  
******  
  
Jacques woke up to soft singing.  
  
"I'm judge and I'm jury and I'm executioner too"  
  
Ruby hummed the rest of the song as she slept. He wondered if she was singing herself to sleep, seeing as she had been tossing and turning a few times, or if she sang in her sleep. Either way, he wondered why she was singing Metallica's "Dirty Window" and not something... lighter.  
  
He touched her face ever so softly and whispered in her ear, "You're not a killer, Ruby. You never were, and you never will be."  
  
He was not sure, but he thought he heard her begin to sing a lighter song.  
  
******  
  
Remus sighed. "Ruby and Severus won't like this one bit."  
  
Giles nodded. "They will learn to deal with it."  
  
"I'm more worried about them trying to kill one another."  
  
"Well, you have no need to worry. Severus and Ruby both know how to take care of themselves."  
  
"Why can't I be her Watcher for now?"  
  
"Because... you would become too attached. She would push you away. She's already pushed Severus away, so it would not affect Severus. You, on the other hand, would want to know about her past, and that's something she does not want to deal with at the moment, especially since the scars have not begun to fade-- literally, and figuratively. Severus could care less, and that's the attitude she wants right now." He looked at the wolf, who was shaking his head in frustration. "Look, when the time is right, you will be her Watcher."  
  
Remus sighed. "And how will I know?"  
  
Giles smiled, took the other man's chin in his hand, and kissed him.   
  
******  
  
Oz woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. He felt very relaxed, and even thought he smelled the strawberry perfume Willow always used to wear.  
  
He looked at the chair across from his bed to find a set of robes laid out for him. They were plain black robes, but they were a complete set of clothes. Oz got out of his bed, and put them on. They felt like baggy clothes to him.   
  
He sniffed the air, smelled pancakes, and let his nose lead him to the Great Hall.  
  
******  
  
When Remus woke up, he felt as if he had not gotten any sleep at all.   
  
He wondered if his dreams had not been dreams. He wondered if he was somehow taken to another plane of existance that just felt like a dream. That would explain all the interesting facts he had learned from his dream.  
  
Remus frowned, thinking once again of Cecile. Giles had said that she would never try to hurt Ruby, but Remus was not sure. They had all changed since their days in Hogwarts. He could not be sure where Cecile's loyalties lie. Did they lie in the Council, which she had tried to convince Remus to join? Or, were they with the Slayers, who were trapped in destinies they had never asked for?  
  
Cecile had been born the daughter of two Watchers. She was sent to Hogwarts to learn the magic needed to help a Watcher protect the world and find potential slayers. She had been brought up to believe in the Council fully. Remus, on the other hand, had not been. Remus had asked Cecile questions about how the Council worked. As Cecile explained it to him, he wondered about the fairness of taking a girl away from her normal life to be alone in the fight against evil.   
  
He wondered now if his thoughts from school had been the reason why he had been so eager for Ruby to stay the night at Hogwarts. He had hoped she could get some sense of a normal life, or at least what was normal for him.   
  
As he tried to get out of his bed, Remus lost his sense of balance and fell on the cold floor, naked, as he always did.   
  
******  
  
Ruby woke up and rolled onto her other side. Jacques was sleeping peacefully next to her. She figured it was best not to wake him because of the time difference between Boston and... wherever across the Atlantic Ocean she was. No one had told her the exact location of Hogwarts. She put that on her grand list of things to ask about Hogwarts.   
  
She stared at Jacques in silence for a few more minutes. His hair flopped into his eyes, but she did not move it. 'It makes him look so cute...'  
  
Quietly, Ruby got out of the bed. She looked at a chair that had somehow appeared overnight. It had two sets of dress robes on it, both with pants. Ruby smiled as she thought of what Jacques would look like in a skirt, because if one had been there, she would have taken the pants meant for Jacques.   
  
Ruby felt the need to get food and answers, so she moved out of the room just as quietly as she had gotten out of the bed, and walked to the Great Hall, where she assumed everyone would be.   
  
*****  
  
Remus shot up off his cold floor. 'This is not how I need my day to start...'  
  
He looked down at the small table in his room to see that the robes he had discarded on the floor during the night had been cleaned and patched up. 'That must have annoyed the House Elves...'  
  
Remus had just thrown on his boxers (blue with yellow crescent moons) when he heard a female voice singing as she walked past his door.   
  
"A little less conversation,   
  
A little more action, please  
  
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me  
  
A little more bite  
  
And a little less bark  
  
A little less spite  
  
And a little more spark"  
  
Remus rushed out to find Ruby singing and dancing to a song he had never heard before.   
  
"Ruby!"  
  
She stopped and turned to him. "Remus! Where are going?"  
  
"The Great Hall for breakfast."  
  
"Damn. I didn't know it was that casual."  
  
He looked down and blushed, just as Hermione Granger walked by, looking at him with wide eyes.   
  
"P-p-professor?"  
  
"Hey, kiddo. Going to the Great Hall?"  
  
Hermione nodded, blushing as she stared more and more at Remus in boxers alone.   
  
"Great. I got lost. I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Got lost in my singing. Lead the way!"  
  
She pushed Hermione past Remus as he rushed back into his room to finish getting dressed. As he closed the door, he caught Ruby doing a strange dance. He would have to ask Ruby about that later.   
  
******  
  
Jacques slowly got up. The portraits were whispering and giggling to each other.   
  
"The Slayer and the Gatekeeper? How cute!"  
  
"I hear that."  
  
The portraits giggled.   
  
He noticed that Ruby was gone. "Where did Ruby go?"  
  
"The Slayer?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"She got dressed. We can only guess that she went to the Great Hall."  
  
He nodded once more and got out of bed. He found the robes left out for him, and slowly put them on. The portraits continued to giggle at him.   
  
"He's got a nice body," one whispered, and he promptly blushed.  
  
******  
  
Oz reached the Great Hall at the same time as Ruby and a girl with bushy brown hair.   
  
"Looks like you've recovered," Oz told Ruby.   
  
Ruby nodded. Then shivered. "There's something strange about this place."  
  
The girl with bushy hair spoke up. "It's probably all the magical waves in the air."  
  
Ruby's eyes settled on Snape. "Or maybe it's just Schnoz giving me the Evil Eye."  
  
Oz cleared his throat. "So, who is she?"  
  
"This is... um... what's your name?"  
  
"Hermione Granger."  
  
"There you go."  
  
Oz smiled at Hermione. "Hi. I'm Oz. Daniel Osbourne, actually, but please call me Oz."  
  
Ruby looked at Hermione. "I'm Ruby Fier."  
  
"Are you teacher's apprentices?"  
  
Oz shook his head and Ruby snorted. "No. I'm getting advice, and she's--"  
  
"Not staying for long," Ruby finished for him.  
  
Hermione blushed. "You mean, you and Professor Lupin aren't..." She trailed off, embarrassed to finish her question.  
  
"Aren't what?"  
  
"Well... d-dating?"  
  
Ruby's eyes went wide. "Hell no!"  
  
"I wish you wouldn't use that language around my students," a fully-dressed Remus said from behind her.  
  
Ruby rolled her eyes at him. "You're not the boss of me."  
  
"He didn't give you an order," Hermione said. "He just asked you not to cuss."  
  
Ruby looked at Hermione. She was blushing, and looking down at her feet. She was very protective of Remus Lupin... She acted like Ruby when she told the Council off for Alexander's "unorthodox" training methods. She had thought that the virtual reality crypt was a really good idea. Especially since she could not get hurt.   
  
Ruby smirked and leaned close to Hermione. "You have a crush on Remus, don't you?" she whispered.  
  
Hermione became even redder, and let out a high-pitched "No!" She then rushed off to her table and sat between a boy with messy black hair and a boy with red hair that matched Hermione's face.  
  
'Yup... that's a crush, that is.'  
  
Ruby clapped her hands pleasantly. "So... grub?"  
  
Jacques walked up to the group, and kissed Ruby on the cheek. "Good morning."  
  
Ruby blinked at him. "What are you doing out of bed?"  
  
"The portraits were whispering and giggling."  
  
"Ah." Ruby looked at Remus and Oz. "This is Jacques Regnier. He's the Gatekeeper. He lives in Boston."  
  
Remus lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? The Gatekeeper?"  
  
Jacques smiled. "Yes."  
  
"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but I'm hungry," Oz announced.  
  
Remus looked up and blinked. "Right. Sorry. You can sit at the staff table for now, I suppose. There's room enough."   
  
Oz and Ruby walked toward the table. Ruby said over her shoulder, "Have fun drooling, Remus."  
  
*****  
  
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione. She had not said a word since she sat down, and they had bad-mouthed the teachers multiple times.   
  
"Hermione, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she finally squeaked out.  
  
"Why are you blushing so much, then?"  
  
"No reason!"  
  
"No one blushes that much without a reason," Ron said.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it."  
  
They looked at each other knowingly. Hermione had a crush.  
  
"Who is he, 'Mione?"   
  
"Yeah, tell us," Harry chimed.  
  
"No!"  
  
*****  
  
Albus Dumbledore smiled at the Slayer and young werewolf. "I see Remus has found someone else to be fascinated over."  
  
"Yeah, but Jacques will be leaving soon. I hope." Ruby sighed. "Do you know what could cause the ghost roads to drop someone off at the wrong location?"  
  
"Disturbances in the air caused by magic, a spell that involves the dead..." Dumbledore paused and looked at Ruby. "Or, he could have simply been thinking of something other than his destination."  
  
Ruby blushed slightly as she thought of the kiss he had given her.  
  
Oz put some food on his plate and began eating.   
  
Then, the owls arrived.   
  
Dumbledore smiled at the confused looks on Ruby's and Oz's faces. "Mail. It's carried by owls."  
  
They nodded, still looking slightly confused.  
  
One owl landed in front of Dumbledore, and he looked at the envelope after he removed it from the owl's leg. "Most interesting."  
  
"What?" Ruby asked, out of reflex more than curiosity.  
  
"It's an owl from the surviving members of the Council."  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Well, WG wanted me to leave this as a cliff hanger, and I'm dying in my computer room, so I think I will end it here. Why does the air conditioner have to be broken?!?   
  
Anyway, please tell me what you think. I'd really like to know.  
  
Oh! And I don't own "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis.   
  
And the dance Ruby was doing was the moon walk. Which I also don't own.   
  
-Yoshi 


	5. Constipated Bull

The Lost Line  
  
Chapter 5: Constipated Bull  
  
From Chapter 4   
  
Dumbledore smiled at the confused looks on Ruby's and Oz's faces. "Mail. It's carried by owls."  
  
They nodded, still looking slightly confused.  
  
One owl landed in front of Dumbledore, and he looked at the envelope after he removed it from the owl's leg. "Most interesting."  
  
"What?" Ruby asked, out of reflex more than curiosity.  
  
"It's an owl from the surviving members of the Council."  
  
Ruby got up, and noted that Severus stood as well. "No. How-- how can they know I'm here?"  
  
She felt panic rise inside her, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Oz, who was trying to steady her and calm her down at the same time.   
  
"A locator spell, most likely. One through the ground, and not the air, I would imagine."  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Well, a locator spell through the air can only work properly if the area where the person is is not filled with magic that would interfere. All the magic in the air of Hogwarts would protect you from the spell. However, all things are connected to the earth. Magic does not provide a barrier in the ground like it does in the air. Therefore, they would be able to locate you by finding the energy of the Slayer in the ground. I'm sure those that came here recognized the area."  
  
"I hate them," Ruby muttered.   
  
Oz looked at Dumbledore. "What does it say? Is Giles okay? How about Wesley?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled at the young man. "Both are well. Rupert is in Sunnydale at the moment, and Wesley is in Los Angeles. Both will be arriving to deal with Ruby around Christmas, so as not to disturb the classes."  
  
"And what will we do with her in the meantime?" Severus asked, glaring at the girl.  
  
"You will be her Watcher for the time."  
  
Severus' face fell. Ruby stared at Dumbledore in shock. Jacques and Remus walked over to find out what was wrong. Oz was pondering calling Giles beforehand and asking him to bring Willow with him when he came to visit. Dumbledore was contemplating giving everyone a lemon drop.  
  
"No!! No way!! NEVER!!"  
  
"Headmaster, can't you write them back and say 'No, thank you'?"   
  
"What? What happened?"  
  
Ruby glared at Remus. "Greaseball over here is my new Watcher until the Council shows up!!"   
  
"What?" Remus looked at Severus. "Giles was right..."  
  
Severus arched an eyebrow. "Rupert Giles? When did you talk to him?"  
  
Remus blushed. "In my dream."  
  
"Holy dreams, Batman!" Ruby said. "Is there anything else he mentioned?"  
  
"Just that you wouldn't accept me as a Watcher."  
  
"Damn right! But, he left out one part: I don't want ANY Watcher."  
  
Severus stormed out of the Great Hall. "I will NOT stand for this!"  
  
Ruby huffed. "You think I will?!?" She grabbed two bagels and left. "I'm leaving as soon as I can. Forget the Council. Forget Greaseball. Forget Hogwarts! Forget it all!!"  
  
Dumbledore looked up after having just finished the rest of the letter. "No, wait--!!"  
  
He could not even finish before Ruby and Severus came flying into each other like they had very strong magnets on them.   
  
As all the students turned to look at what had happened, Dumbledore got up to crouch near the young Slayer and professor.   
  
"If you two had let me finish, the Council has decided to bind you to one another. You must train at least once a day. Should either of you leave the room when the other does not, what just happened will happen once more."  
  
Ruby and Severus sighed. Then, Ruby blushed. "Umm... what happens when one of us has to go to the bathroom?"  
  
Dumbledore blinked. "Have a lemon drop."

.........

Oz followed Remus around the whole day, getting a general feel for Hogwarts. Remus seemed to be a very good teacher, and only the Slytherins seemed not to get along with him. A few students were afraid of him, but Remus explained it was because Severus outed him one year.  
  
"No wonder Ruby doesn't want him to be her Watcher."  
  
"Yeah... I wish I could be her Watcher instead, but I'm apparently not ready yet."  
  
Oz arched an eyebrow. "How so?"  
  
Remus sighed. He had already explained his dream-- leaving out certain parts, of course. "I'd get too emotional."  
  
"Well, you did seem pretty emotional last night when you didn't want her to die." Oz noticed that Remus was blushing. "Do you have a crush on her?"  
  
"No! I'm just interested in the fact that she's a Slayer. Remember, I've never met one before. Besides... I like someone else."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Someone I knew in school. Very pretty girl. She works with the Council. I'm hoping she'll come here during Christmas with the other Watchers."  
  
"I wish I could see the girl I like."  
  
"What's she like?"  
  
"Gay." Oz looked over at Remus' shocked face. "Long story."

..........

Dumbledore met them in the Great Hall. "Well, there's been a lot of fighting going on between Ruby and Severus. They still have not left the dungeons. I've tried to reason with them, but they refused."  
  
Remus sighed. "Shall we try to talk to them?"  
  
"I doubt it will do much good. But, I think we can try to stop them from killing one another," he informed them, as they made their way to the dungeons.   
  
As they got to the door, they heard a very loud crash, followed by what sounded like a punch and an "Ow!"

A scream and a kick later, Dumbledore and Remus were faced with Severus and Ruby, both in headlocks, moving in a circle, punching one another.   
  
"What are you two doing?!" Remus asked, aghast.   
  
"TRAINING!" they both shouted.  
  
Dumbledore grabbed the wide-eyed young man and closed the door.  
  
"Headmaster, aren't you worried they'll demolish the school?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "I think it's about time the school was redecorated, don't you?"  
  
"What? But... but.. Headmaster!!"  
  
"Oh, Remus, they're not going to kill one another. You and I both know that they're just trying to remove the binding spell."  
  
Ruby shot out of the room, and slammed the door behind her.   
  
"Ha ha! I'm free! I'm free!" She started to sing. "I'm free of the greaseball! I'm free of the greaseball!"  
  
Dumbledore smiled at Remus. "See?"

..........

And so, every morning until Christmas, Ruby and Severus would punch one another until they felt the spell fade, and depending on their moods, would spend half the day annoying one another, or half the day silently threatening one another.

..........

At nights, well, that was a different story.

"Burn, baby, burn!" Ruby shouted, as the last vampire caught fire.   
  
Severus rubbed his temples. "Must you make a pun every night?"  
  
"They're the best part!"  
  
"They're the tackiest part."  
  
"Are you saying my puns suck?"  
  
"Quite frankly, yes."  
  
"Take that back, Greaseball!"  
  
"Take back that 'Greaseball' comment."  
  
"Why should I take back something that's true?"  
  
Severus scoffed. "Well, then, why should I?"  
  
Ruby turned bright red. "Oh, that is IT!" She leaped on top of him, grabbing him around the neck. "I'll show you who's telling the truth!"  
  
Severus grabbed her neck in retaliation. "Likewise!"  
  
"Hey, you two, stop it!!" Oz yelled, decapitating the forgotten demon. "You're supposed to be a team!"  
  
They glared at one another, and reluctantly allowed Remus to pry them apart, as he had done every night.   
  
"Any word from the Council as to what time tomorrow they're coming to get her?" Severus asked, a triumphant smirk on his face, knowing that any mention of the Council coming to get her would drive Ruby crazy. After all, if she tried to leave school grounds, even if she and Severus had beat the living daylights out of one another, the spell on them would not allow it.  
  
They found that one out the hard way.  
  
Ruby tried to jump him once more, but Remus held her back. "They were really very vague about it."  
  
"Well, I hope it's early in the morning. I don't want to have to suffer another night with her."  
  
Ruby glared at the Potions Master. "Keep this up, and I may want to stay and haunt you for the rest of my days."  
  
"Once this stupid spell is removed, the Council can cast another spell to simply take you away using magic."  
  
Ruby smiled sweetly, something that sent chills through all their spines, given the amount of scars on her face. "Well, I do know how to use the Ghost Roads. I could always come back for a nice little visit to Remmie-kins here, and then annoy you the rest of the day."  
  
Severus arched an eyebrow at Remus. "Remmie-kins?"  
  
Remus stood holding Ruby, wide-eyed, mouth open in shock.  
  
Ruby waved her hand in front of his face. "Remus? Are you holding me back or holding me for support?"  
  
Remus made a few nonsensical words.  
  
Oz sighed. "Let's get him back to Hogwarts." The others nodded and made their way back to the castle.  
  
Oz woke up the next morning, a feeling of excitement filling him. Today was the day that Giles and Wesley were coming with other Watchers to get Ruby, but it was also the day that he would get to see Willow again.   
  
Oz dug out another robe from the pile that he had been given, and made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast. By now, he was used to Hogwarts and the portraits that giggled as he passed by.  
  
Several times he gave a few of them winks.   
  
Other times, Severus and Ruby would stamp past them all, one of them complaining about not  
getting enough sleep during the night, blaming the other. The first midnight after the binding  
spell was cast on them, they were once again bound to each other, and decided (after many  
arguments and a lot of yelling) that it would be easier on both of them if they just shared a room.  
  
Ruby would blame Severus and his research on potions or grumbles about Potter and the rest of the insolent Gryffindors, while Severus would blame Ruby's constant gossiping with the portraits.  
  
The first morning of Christmas break, however, was a quiet one. Many people had chosen to sleep in late. The various professors had been up all night grading the last of the assignments so that they would not have to worry about them over the break, and instead focus on their lessons once classes resumed.   
  
Oz walked into the Great Hall to find only Dumbledore there, smiling. "Ah. Oz. The House Elves have informed me that there will be pizza for lunch. Apparently, Ruby had become unnerved last night and asked Jaques to bring back a recipe for it as well as a pie. The elves became very excited and wanted to give it a try. I thought perhaps you could give them some tips. I doubt Ruby will be up to teaching elves how to cook, and will instead be trying to find a way to stay here."  
  
Oz shrugged. "Sure I'll teach them. And Ruby does like it here. It's easy, except for Professor Snape."  
  
"And what about you? Do you like it here?"  
  
He shrugged once more. "I miss my friends, but I haven't seen them for years."  
  
Dumbledore nodded knowingly. "The struggle to control the wolf."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, do you like Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yeah. It's a little bit like home. An extraordinary witch, future Watchers, a Slayer, werewolf, the beauty queens, the ordinary ones... The only thing missing is a vampire with a soul in love with the Slayer." Oz shrugged. "I guess Professor Snape comes close-- except, he's not in love with Ruby."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "He is no vampire, but I do think underneath it all, he has a soft spot for Ruby-- puns included. And she has a soft spot for him. She's only broken his nose once."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Neither will admit it, but they need each other." Dumbledore sighed. "I want Ruby to stay here longer. Something is happening. Curiosity is growing, a power is emerging, and a fight will soon begin. I fear that some of our girls here are going to be targets."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We may actually have potential Slayers at Hogwarts for the first time in centuries."  
  
"Potential Slayers? How can you tell?"  
  
"We can't. We can only tell where the power is."  
  
"Well, when did the power show up?"  
  
"Shortly after Ruby arrived. I think her presence may have awakened the potential powers in some of our girls."  
  
"Is that how it always is? The power won't awaken until it meets the power?"  
  
"Not always. I think that the reason Hogwarts has not had Potentials is all of the magical waves in the air. Besides, almost everyone at Hogwarts could be a Slayer. They all know how to defend against the dark arts and the creatures of darkness." With a sigh, he added, "Even if some of them give in to the darkness instead."  
  
Oz knew that Dumbledore had been thinking of Voldemort, and he noticed the old man's gaze turning towards the Slytherin table. Apparently, many of the Slytherins were supposed to be leaving that night to receive the Dark Mark signifying their loyalty to Voldemort.

Of course, Ruby, on hearing of Voldemort, had cheerily cracked her knuckles and asked when she would get to take him on.   
  
Snape had scoffed. "The Dark Lord is not your average evil wizard. His minions would kill you without a second thought."  
  
Of course, Ruby had merely smiled at him. "I'm a Slayer. I'd love to see what could bring me down. And if it's this Voldemold, or whatever, then so be it."  
  
Remus had huffed at her reaction. "Why can't you be more serious about your life?! Every fight to you is just something to see what will bring you down at the end! Is that all you ever think about?!"  
  
Ruby had merely walked away from him, muttering something about the evil never ending.  
  
Severus had shot Remus a glance that said he was getting too emotional before stalking after Ruby to stop her from destroying something in his dungeons and calling it "training."  
  
"What are you going to do about the Slytherins?"  
  
"Well, I cannot keep them here against their wishes. Their parents, all Death Eaters, would attempt to storm this school. And that is something I will not allow." Dumbledore sighed, and the heavy lines around his eyes showed just how much he had to deal with. "I wish it weren't so, but most of them were lost before I could ever attempt to save them."  
  
Oz saw from the look in the older man's eyes that it would be nice to have a change of subject.  
  
Just then, Remus walked up, in much of a hurry. "Professor Dumbledore, you cannot allow the Council to take Miss Fier away! We could use her in the fight against You-Know-Who, no matter what Severus has to say. We should make her a member of the Order."  
  
"I have thought of that as well, Remus, but the Council is having problems of its own. The First is waging war against them, and its followers are killing Potentials everywhere."  
  
Something clicked in Oz's head. "If there are Potentials here, would the Council do all they could to protect them?"  
  
"Of course. But, they would not leave Miss Fier here just because of one or two Potentials."  
  
"But, if there was an evil wizard after them as well?" Remus asked, his hands in tight fists.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "The First is not a corporeal being. Voldemort is. The Council's fight is much larger than the fight we have to face. Besides, we have our fair share of powerful wizards and witches. They have only one Slayer against the First, and one in jail. They will not leave their third with a wizarding school."  
  
Remus slammed his fists on the table. "Well, they should!"  
  
"Who should do what?"  
  
They all turned to the voice. It was Ruby, with Severus, and Hermione did not seem to be too far off, her eyes filled with awe.  
  
"The Council should leave you here."  
  
Ruby snorted. "I think that the Council should get Schnoz off my back and let me do as I please.  
Speaking of which, if I have to have a Watcher here, I'd at least like one that wouldn't shoot Unforgivables at me."  
  
Snape huffed. "I keep telling you that it's what the Dark Lord would do, and you ducked every single one of them."  
  
"You were really very good," Hermione said from her spot behind them.  
  
Remus narrowed his eyes in confusion at her.   
  
Ruby explained for him. "She's been waking up early each morning and going to the Potions room to watch us train. Honestly, don't you have some books to read, Hermione?"  
  
"I've read them all."  
  
Ruby rolled her eyes, and Severus muttered to her, "You should have known that."  
  
"If I do say so, you make a very good team," the bookworm added.   
  
Snape turned on her. "Miss Granger, if you do not sit down in the next five seconds, I will take ten points off your house."  
  
Hermione squeaked and shuffled to her seat.   
  
"Why couldn't you just ask her to sit down, Severus?" Remus asked, his jaw muscle twitching a bit.  
  
"Because I've had to deal with her incessant twittering all this morning. It's bad enough I have to deal with Miss Fier"-- "Hey," Ruby, shouted at him, her mouth full of croissant and jam-- "But to deal with Miss Granger in the morning constantly asking questions is enough for me to want to throw a hex at her."  
  
Ruby swallowed her croissant. "So, instead, I get them." She held up her slightly burned arm.  
  
"And I get a glass thrown at my head from three feet away at full Slayer force." Severus pointed to a cut on his forehead above his left eye.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, getting Poppy ready to work first thing in the morning?"  
  
Snape scowled. "I would love nothing more than a normal morning of catching troublemakers first thing in the morning and making their day miserable."  
  
"You need to get a life," Ruby said, dipping another croissant in jam.  
  
"I had a life, until you came along and wrecked it!"  
  
"Really? The way you speak of it, I think I improved it."  
  
Severus' fists were clenching and unclenching.   
  
"If you want to punch me," Ruby started, cockily, "Go ahead and punch me. You've done it before, you should have no trouble doing it again."  
  
It was obvious the man was grinding his teeth in an effort to maintain some semblance of composure. Dumbledore chuckled. "Oh, please do not antagonize him, Ruby. I fear he may have a stroke before his time."  
  
Ruby smiled up at the Potions Master. "I piss you off that much?"  
  
The man turned around, rushed past the students, pushing several out of his way, and exited the building. But, his exit did not stop them all from hearing his shouts and the hexes he threw at the ground in his anger. When he reentered the Great Hall, he still looked like a raging bull, only less constipated, blowing some of the hair out of his face.   
  
Going with the thought of bulls, Ruby said to him, "You know, you should really think about getting a nose ring in the middle of your nostrils. Like what the bulls have. I think it would suit you."  
  
Of course, after all her time spent with Severus Snape, one would think that Ruby would know everything to never say to the man, but as everyone at Hogwarts now knows, Slayers get knocked in the head a lot. And that can lead to memory problems for some. And Ruby couldn't help it if the demons just loved to hit her head all the time. Just as she couldn't grab a bagel instead of a croissant when Severus ripped her out of her seat from her shirt and dragged her outside.   
  
And, as all Watchers or Watcher stand-ins should know, never separate a Slayer from her food.  
  
Because she'll kill you.   
  
Or, in the case of Severus, knock you cold in two seconds flat after being released.  
  
After he was sprawled out on the snow, Ruby spun on her heel, flicked some hair over her shoulder, and walked back into the Great Hall, all mouths open in... fear? admiration? a combination? Whatever. It didn't matter to her. The only thing that mattered to her was that poppy seed bagel. Because if there was to be a drug test, she wanted to fail it without actually having to take the drugs.  
  
And that constipated bull should have known better, anyway.  
  
She sat back down at the staff table, buttered her bagel, and chomped down, everyone watching her. "What?"  
  
Oz blinked. "You just knocked him out. Wow."  
  
Remus frowned. "He's not going to be happy when he regains consciousness."  
  
Ruby smiled. "What's he going to do? Give me detention?"  
  
"I wouldn't put it past him."  
  
"Right, well Mr Constipated Bull can try to give me detention. I'll just say that I can try to chuck something more blunt and heavy at his head than a jar of whatever the hell he keeps in that spooky supply closet. Because I don't think he wants whadaycallit on his robes. Because I wouldn't even want that on the bottom of my shoes."  
  
"Whadaycallit?"  
  
"Yeah. That thing. In the jar. In the supply closet. Next to the other really gross thing and the thing that looks like it came from the inside of... something."  
  
Remus' eyes were wide, and a chuckle was heard from behind them.  
  
"Oh, I really have missed Slayer speak. Buffy's become more and more serious these days, I'm afraid."  
  
They all turned, and Oz smiled. "Hey, Giles. Wesley."  
...........................................

Wow. It's been exactly one year since I've updated this.   
  
My God, I'm lazy.  
  
But, I decided to make this chapter slightly more on the funny side because... I can. And I will.  
  
And I didn't find a Metallica song to put in the chapter!! sob  
  
Oh, well, I think I used enough Metallica songs in my English papers this year for reasons beyond me.   
  
Oh, right. Because I could.  
  
And don't forget to review!!   
  
-Yoshi, the lazy 


End file.
